Dress-form.



A. D. BAILEY.

DRESS FORM.

APPLIOATION IILED 111m. 17, 1912.

Patented July 7, 1914 THE NORRIS PETERS CO4. PHOTOLI'IHOH WASHINGTON, Dc,

"oNrrnn sTA'rEs rNrnNr orricn. r A

ANNA DEANE BAILEY, on. NEW YORK, N. Y.

DRESS-FORM.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my im proved form or dummy complete;Fig. 2 a

' side elevation of the form or dummy decl is screwed into a hollow rodg,

tached from its pedestal and skirt form; and Fig. 3 a detail view of apart of the inner face of the skirt form detached.

The object of this invention is to so con struct the dummy that it shallapproximate the human figure and also that each dummy or form shall becapable of a wide range of adjustability not only as to height but alsoas to transverse dimensions, whereby it is possible by selecting a dummyor form most nearly approaching the figure of the person whose gowns areto be fitted thereto to adjust the dummy exactly to the vertical as wellas horizontal dimensions of the person in question. By thus providingfor a wide .range of adjusting capacity in each dummy it will bepossible to put my invention on the market in a less number of sizesthan is possible with the forms or dummies now on the market and it willalso be possible to make the dummy conform more nearly to the specialdimensions of the figure the dummy is intended to be a facsimile of, asmore fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing av designates a base plate or board mounted on suitablecasters and provided on its under side with a series of hooks Z) and onits upper side with a central internally threaded post 0.. Screwed intothis post a is a rod (Z whose upper part is threaded in a directionopposite to the lower extremity which screws into the post 0. The upperpart of this red is inserted through a central opening in a plate orblock 6, a squared part f being formed or fastened on the rod to enableit to be readily turned. The upper extremity of this rod and on theextreme upper end of this rod g is screwed or otherwise adjustablymounted a circular block 71,,

A textile fabric casing i surrounds the Specification of Letters Patent.

. the shoulders.

in various directions to thereby make it conform very closely if notwhich are attached Patented July *7, lard.

Application filed August 17, 1912. Serial No. 715,674.

rod g and the part of rod end to the top block it, and at its lower endto the bottom block 0. This casing is so made that when it is filled outor inflated it approximates the human figure from the top of the neckdown to the knees, includ ing a small portion of the arms adjacent toThis casing is filled with granulated cork up to a point at or near thebase of the tubular neck portion j of the easing. The filling materialis preferably granulated cork but it is possible to use other materialhaving the same capacity, and this material is packed into the casingwith sufficient compactness to firmly but not rigidly fill out thecasing. Each arm stump is closed by a block 75 to which the fabric isfastened, and each block 79 is connected by a rod Z to the central rodg, the connection being preferably by means of an eye m formed on therod Z preferably inclined upwardly. -Nuts 0 are threaded on theprojecting ends of the rods Z, for a purpose hereinafter set forth.

A. loose tubular fabric 79 connects the lower end of'the rod 9 to theblock 6 and surrounds the upper end of the rod (Z, whereby the rod 0?may be removed from the block 6 for the sake of compactness in shippingand reinserted when the figure is erected or assembled without seriousinterference by the granulated filling material, this tubular fabricserving to not only hold the rod 9 in the center of the figure but alsoto guide the threaded rod into the rod 9 when it is reinserted A tubularapron g connects the block 6 to the base a, a slit r being provided fromits top edge downwardly to enable it to be slipped off and on over thebase a, this base a being considerably larger in diameter than the block6. The upper edge of this apron is detachably'connected to the block 6by suitable rings and hooks and detachably connected to the base a bymeans of a series of flexible tabs or tapes 8 to the inner face of theapron q and are adapted to hook over the hooks Z; on the under side ofthe base a, each tab 8 being provided'w'ith a series of eyeleted holesto provide for vertical adjustment. The block 6 is to be so located asto be approximately in line with the knees and is so dimensioned as toapproximate the diameter of the figureat the knees while the base a isof a diameter to approximately cover the p d above the block a. thiscasing being connected at its upper person are located when standing ina nat;-'

circular space within which the feet of the ural position. Toaccommodate persons of different heights the rod (Z may be screwed intoor out of the tubular post 0 and the tabs amaybe adjusted accordingly,so that this downwardly flaring apron g mayv be drawn approximatelytaut. This apron q is of a suitable fabric that will readily receivepins, andits purpose is to form an annular support against {which theskirt of the gown may rest in draping the gown andin locat- ,ing foldsand plaits and determining and ascertaining .their appearance when thegown is actually worn by the person for whom it is intended, i

By employing granulated cork. orlsimilar material as a filling substanceand by leaving an empty space, at the top of the casing and by employinga suitable fabric as a material for the casing, I am enabled to makewide range of adjustments as to ment, has the peculiar capacity,

. of staying where put,provided the casing.

' vertical and lateral dimensions of the body portion of the dummy.Granulated cork, (i. 6. small pieces of cork of irregular dimensions) lhave ascertained by experiso to speak,

be of the character hereinbefore set forth, namely, muslin or otherflexible textile fabric. This covering or casing has the capacity ofyielding within reasonable limits but isjnot springy or elastic in thesense 1 great frictional qualities that when the mass.

that it tends strongly to return to a normal position, andthe particlesof cork have such is locally shifted by pressure or manipula-' tionofthe hands the particles will remain original position.

in thelpositions they are shifted to even though there be a slighttendency on the vpart of the fabric to pull them back to the versedimensions of the figure at any point between the two blocks 6 and h bysimply shifting the cork by a sort of massage operation on the exteriorof the figure; for instance the waist dimension can be illcreased byforcing some of the cork par-' ticles up into the waist portion of thefigure or from above downwardly into that portion and likewise withrespect to the bust and hip dimensions. In other words, this the specialand perhaps abnormal or vunusual.

fiexiblefabric casing and the filling of frictional yielding particlessuch as cork gives to the body portion of the dummy asort .of plasticnature in that within the yielding limits of the fabric employed thefigure maybe changed from its factory shape withoutdismantling it, tomake it accord With dimensions of the figure of the person who is towear thegowns. At the knee portion of the figureI have shown the corkparticles,

packed tighter than at the remaining part For these reasons it ispossible with my device to vary the trans *sible to actually tack thegown of the figure since it will be seldom, if ever, necessary to shiftthe particles at the knee portion of the figure.

The leaving of the upper part of the casing empty gives a wider range ofadjustment in that it permits a portion of the cork to be shoved up intothe neck when the transverse dimensions of the figure at points lowerdown are to be considerably reduced. The rods Z together with, theirthreaded nuts 0, assist in narrowing the dummy at a point above thewaist line; By

and to take up the surplus vmaterial in the I neck of the casing if theneck be shortened,

- I provide a series of rings 25 on the exterior of the neck which areadapted to engage in hooks located at intervals around the edge of theblock it. This adjustable neck block 72, together with the adjustableconnection betweenthe rod (Z and the rod 9 enable the vertical length ofthe body portion of the dummy to be varied within the capacity of thefigureand when the body of the figure is thus. variedv the cork fillingmay be manually shifted about. within the casing all points throughoutthe length iof the figure. It will thus be observed that I provide for apractically universal adjustment to get the proper transverse dimensionsat of the dummy orv form and it will be observed also that throughoutthe length of the figure it is possible to pin the garment to I thefigure and thus assist in fitting and draping the garment; and it willbe observed that the pins may be inserted in the body portion of thedummy in the manner of tacks, that is, forced their full length into thebody of material, so that it is pos to the figure at any point from theknee line to the neck of'the figure.

I A feature of importance, it will" be ob served lies in the fact that.from the neck to the knee my form or dummy can be readilymade to veryclosely approximate the figure of the that this capacity is a'novel one,and that it is an exceedingly advantageous one will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art of fitting garments since the great objection to thedress forms now on the market is vthat hanging or draping of thegarmentowner and it is believed from the splrit of my invention.

cannot be actually determined or ascertained until the garment is triedon the wearer.

It Wlll be obvious that my invention 1s best carried out by the use of aform con-t range of adjustment by local displacement and makes themanipulation of the filling to obtain the adjustments easier.

I/Vith my improved dress form, experiment has shown me usual range ofadjustments provided for in the forms now on the market by a considerably less number of sizes, it being possible, I believe, to provide forthis wide variety in the dimensions of human figures. by placing on themarket three sizes which,

to the trade would be known as numbers 36, 39 and 42.

It will be understood that variations in the details of construction ofthis appliance may be resorted to by me without departing It will beunderstood also that the apron 9 may be used as a guide for marking andcutting the lower edges ofskirts by providing the same with a suitablegage such as a series of annular lines (1.

Having thus described my inventlon, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a device of the class set forth, a

dress form shaped approximately to the human body from the neck to theknee, a base plate and means for supporting the form on said base plate,said base plate having a d1- ameter greater than that of the lower endof the form, a tubular fabric apron detachably connected to the lowerend of the form and slitted vertically for a portion of its length, andmeans for detachably connecting the apron to the edge of the base plate,for the purpose set forth.

2. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of a support, adummy or lay figure supported thereon and embodying an exterior textilefabric casing and a filling of comminuted frictional packing material,said casing being flexible and said filling material being packed tofirmness only and being capable of local permanent readjustment byexterior manual manipulation in the manner of plastic material, and astandard extending through the mass of packing material and serving asan interior support therefor.

3. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of a support, adummy or lay figure supported thereon and embodying an that I can coverthe I exterior textile fabric casing and a filling of comminutedfrictional packing material, said. casing being flexible and saidfilling material being packed to firmness and being capable of localreadjustment by exterior manual manipulation in the manner of plasticmaterial, and an extensible supporting rod within the dummy whereby theheight of the dummy may be varied.

4;. Ina device of the class set forth, the combination of abase, a dressform supported thereon and approximating the human figure said formconsisting of an outer casing of textile fabric, a filling of comminutedcork, said filling being capable of local permanent displacement andreadjustment by exterior manual manipulation, said cork fillbeing packedto firmness only.

5. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of a base, adress form supported thereon and approximating the human figure, saidform consisting of an outer casing of textile fabric, a filling ofcomminuted frictional material capable of local displacement andreadjustment, a supporting rod embedded in the packing material, aremovable screw rod entering the bottom of the form and engaging thelower end of said rod, and a flexible protecting tube for said screwrod.

6. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of a base, adress form supported thereon and approximating the human figure, saidform consisting of an outer casing of textile fabric, a filling ofcomminuted frictional material packed to firmness so as I to be capableof local displacement and readjustment, and means for positivelycontracting or squeezing the form in the line of the shoulders.

7 In a device of the class set forth, the combination of a base, a dressform supported thereon and approximating the human figure, said formconsisting of an outer casing of textile fabric, a filling of comminutedfrictional material packed to firmness so as to be capable of localdisplacement and readjustment by external manual manipulation, a spacebeing provided between the upper extremity of the casing and the top ofthe filling or packing material within the casing.

8. In a device of the class set forth, the combination of a base, adress form supported thereon and approximating the human figure, saidform consisting of an outer casing of textile fabric, a filling ofcomminuted frictional material packed to firmness and capable of localdisplacement and readjustment by external manual manipulation, a spacebeing provided between the upper extremity of the casing and the top ofthe filling or packing material Within thecasing, and means beingprovided for shortening the neck portion of the form or dummy.

' I length of the dummy.

packed to firmness only to give plasticity to the mass and thus renderit'capable of local permanent displacement by exterior manipulation.

'10. An apparatus of the class'set forth, comprising a base, a standardattached thereto, and a dummy or form aflixed to and surrounding 'saidstandard, said dummy approximating the exterior'shape of the human formfrom the neck to a point below the hips and consisting of a'flexiblefabric casing and a filling of comminuted frictional material packedinto the casing to firmness only, the filling material and casingextending the full length of the dummy, said filling material beingcapable 10f, local permanent readjustment by exterior manipulation tothereby permit the diameter and contour of the dummy to be varied at 11.In adevice of the'class set forth, a

base, a dummy mounted thereon and shaped approximately to the human bodyfrom the points along the neck to the knee, means for adjusting thedummy vertically with respect to the base,

and a fabric apron connecting the lower end of the dummy to said base,means being provided for varying the effective length of the apron inaccordance with'the adjustment of the dummy with respect to the base.

12. In a device of the classset forth, the combination of a'base, adress form support ed thereon and approximating the human figure, saidform consisting of an outer cas :ing of textile fabric, a filling ofcomminuted frictional material packed to firmness so as r to becap'ablejof local displacement and 'readjustment, and means forpositively contracting or squeezing the form in the line'of theshoulders, said means embodying a mem .ber centrally arranged within thedummy and a pair of rods connected to said member and extending upwardlyto the respective shoulders of the dummy, screw means being provided fortightening or'loosening the parts.

signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ANNA DEANE BAILEY. CHARLES D. DAVIS,

CHARLES LOWELL HOWARD. v

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 0 2mm,

' Washington, D. G."

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my

